AMES, Iowa – Performances in the weight throw, 5,000-meter run and distance medley relay highlighted the Minnesota women's track and field team's outing at the first day of the Iowa State Classic at the Lied Recreation Center Friday evening.

"We had a good first day here. Things went well with a good team effort, and we had a lot of season-bests and personal bests across the board," director of women's cross country and track and field Matt Bingle said. "Devin Stanford had a lifetime PR in the weight throw, and I'm really happy with the 5K runners all doing a solid job. The DMR also had a good effort. We're looking forward to tomorrow. We have to go at it and give another good effort."

Junior Devin Stanford recorded a lifetime-best mark in the weight throw at 62-01.00 (18.92m) for fourth place, moving into a tie for fourth all-time in Minnesota program history. Lyndsey Thorpe (54-07.25, 16.64m), Kailee Kamps (season-best 51-00.00, 15.54m) and Angie Guenther (49-09.25, 15.17m) also competed.

The Gophers were led by junior Molly Kayfes in the 5,000-meter run with a season-best 16:19.12 for ninth place. Kayfes was less than four seconds off her indoor career-best (16:15.31). Sophomore Liz Berkholtz entered the Gophers' all-time top-10 performance list (sixth) with a 16:31.86 for 15th place. Laura Docherty (16:36.49, 20th), Kelli Budd (16:53.63, 29th), Kaila Urick (16:59.83, 32nd) and Rachel Drake (17:10.10, 34th) also made their season debuts in the 5,000m.

Minnesota clocked the fifth-best distance medley relay time in program history as Katie Hill, Megan Geyen, Alena Brooks and Maggie Bollig took second in 11:12.85, just 0.01 seconds ahead of host Iowa State (11:12.86) in third. The top three teams all broke the ISU Lied Recreation Center record as Duke won the DMR in 11:06.87.

Redshirt freshman Erin Hawkins took 10th in the 200-meter dash with a season-best 24.77. She also came in 10th in the 60-meter dash (7.79). Junior Jessica Waldvogel posted a season-best time of 25.23 for 20th place in the 200m as well.

Sophomore Alex Beckman led the way for the Gophers in the 60-meter hurdles in a career-best 8.78, climbing to eighth in the Gopher all-time ranks. Redshirt freshman Audra Winter (9.03), junior Jess Herauf (season-best 9.10), and sophomore Amanda Beckman (9.31) also raced.

Winter took third in high jump, clearing a lifetime best 5-07.00 (1.70m) to tie for 10th in Minnesota program history. Alex Beckman was 12th (5-05.00, 1.65m) and senior Katie Loberg tied for 13th (5-03.00, 1.60m).

Three Gophers earned top-10 finishes in the long jump, led by junior Nicole Murphey in fifth with a leap of 18-02.50 (5.55m). Herauf also went over 18 feet with a jump of 18-01.75 (5.53m) for seventh place, and Amanda Beckman was eighth at a season-best 17-11.75 (5.48m). Sophomore Kelly Flynn took 13th (17-08.00, 5.38m).

Action continue at the Iowa State Classic all day Saturday. The meet begins with the unseeded mile run at 10:10 a.m. CT, and field events get underway at 11 a.m. CT.